Integral metal column



Feb. 12, 1963 N. R. ABBERLY 3,077,249

INTEGRAL METAL COLUMN Filed Aug. 12, 1960' Ii Z'YZ lirgfl lnvamon f-T can .e

United States atent 3,977,249 Patented Feb. 12, 1953 nine This invention relates to originally integrally hotformed metal columns adapted to contributively constitute sizable structures, such as tier buildings, bridges, towers and otherwise, the invention being one both of product and forming method.

The inclusive object consists in providing an integral column, recommendedly hotrolled for economy, instead of being conventionally or continuously cast or extruded, and possessing certain valuable characteristics never before offered in combination in the case of built-up, costly ones, the only post-hotforming operation consisting in the welding, to the column body, of the usual two plates at the column ends.

The first valuable characteristic consists in an attractiveness so much greater than that in all present metal columns as to invite installation of the column devoid of embellishment other than paint or metal-spraying or plating (perhaps zonally selective) or the like.

The second valuable characteristic consists in the com plete visibility, for maintenance personnel, of every square inch of column surface, for detection of rusting or other type of corrosion, in the case of nonferrous metals, and for executing the needed correcting measures, namely, removal of the corrosion residuum and repainting or metal respraying, this visibility and access being of the direct kind, namely, without mirrors.

An additional valuable characteristic, particularly where the column functions as one of the legs of a tower of such a height that sail area becomes a serious consideration, consists in the union of unusual slenderness for any given strength and value of antibuckling resistance, because of the favorable section modulus, and of an optimal aerodynamic form for minimal wind resistance.

Extrusion, in the case of the light metals, is practicable, but, because optimal slenderness is a desideratum, for reduced wind resistance in towers and because of esthetic considerations in the case of other structures, the herein described invention embodiments are assumed to be in steel, and, recommendedly, in steels that are neither weldable in the field nor subject to any economical working other than the drilling of the occasionally necessary holes with carbide or cobalt tools, altho executions in standard structural steels can also be accepted advantageously.

Briefly described, the invention consists in an integral W.F. (wide flange) shape for use as a column and in which the web has at each end a flange consisting of a relatively short substantially unbent leg and a relatively long inwardly curved leg, each two short legs being on opposite sides and each two long legs being on opposite sides of the web. The two edges respectively of each short leg and of that long leg that is on the same side of the web are spaced from one another and so otherwise related that the inside surfaces of the two legs are, in their entirety, directly visible to an observer standing to the side of the column. Obviously each two successive legs consist of a short one and a long one (in either order).

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevation view of an invention incorporating column.

FIGURE 2 is a four-times-enlarged cross-sectional view thereof, seen in the plane 22.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of a column moditied with respect to the flange-to-web proportions and to the surfaces.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of an incompletely hotformed length, depicted schematically as it appears before transformation into the final form, eifected either immediately on the switched-off length or subsequently elsewhere, either cooled off or reheated.

Definitions The terms smooth, plain, descriptive of surfaces or surface portions, are employed herein interchangeably.

All planes are those parallel to the column long axis.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the column body is indicated by 11. Filletwelded to it at the two ends thereof, are the two plates, the base plate 12 and the top plate 13. The web is indicated by 14 and each flange by 15-16, the characters, 15 and 16, respectively indicating the long leg and the short one.

The mean plane of Web 14 is indicated by MP--MP. Web 14 has two MP-parallel tangent planes, TP-TP. The symbols, MP, TP, are respectively suggested by the first letters in the expressions, mean plane, tangent plane. Each one of the two web surfaces is configurated with elongated elements, termed parallel elements because they extend parallelwise of the column long axis. Here they are the flutes 17. Parallel elements configure also the surfaces of each short leg and an adjoining portion of the remainder of the respective flange. Here they are the shoulders 18. These surfaces are alternatively termed, terraced surfaces. Flutes and shoulders are recommended the parallel elements because reentrant angles do not characterize them, in distinction from beads and especially reeds, which, because of the notch effect, had best be limited to shapes with relatively heavy cross-sectional forms with excess strength. The character 19 indicates one of the two unsightly flashes corresponding to the junctures of opposing roll dies. They are shown ground off to constitute attractive plain surface portions contrasting with the adjacent shoulders. The dashlines 29 are reference lines defining a marginal inside surface portion of the long leg 15, which is the portion that is less visible from the outside than the other inside surface portions of leg 15 and which nevertheless is sufliciently visible in consequence of the edge 24 of the there adjacent short leg lying well in between the web and the plane of said marginal portion, whose limit is indicated by 22a and whose plane is indicated by 2222. The described visibility relation applies to the similar inside portion of the other long leg as well as to the inside surfaces of the short legs when observed on a line tangent to the edge of the said leg other than the one whose inside surface is being observed. Line 23 marks the transition from said flat surface portion into the rounded end surface portion.

The two circles, 25 and 26, terminate the mean curved plane of long leg 15. The two circles, 27 and 28, and the therebetween dashline represent the mean plane of the short leg 16. Straight line 25S--26 forms, with the corresponding tangent plane, TP, an angle measuring 42 /2 degrees. Straight line 27-23 forms, with the corresponding tangent plane, TP, an angle measuring 86% degrees. These values apply also to the other two legs.

The practical effect of shoulders 18 and especially of flutes 17 consists in the throwing of sharply defined highlights and shadows, combining to produce a quite pleasing appearance. In some installations the intensity of the light originating obliquely above exceeds that coming from laterally of the column. In such columns, transverse elements would conceivably be preferred. To be borne in mind however is the proneness of transverse elements to accumulate dust; more maintenance hours would be necessary to maintain a given degree of cleanness. The

dot-and-dash-lines, 29, schematically represent transverse elements, which of course, because of limitations imposed by standard rolling mill practice, could be applied only to web surfaces. Economy of operations would not permit the use of transverse elements on flange surfaces.

Refer to FIGURE 3. Where it is deemed that sufficiently enhanced appearance is provided by the combination of two mutually spaced curved surfaces and without any dust-catching configuration on them, this is a recommended profile with its favorable section modulus. A web 30 interveningly adjoins the two flanges, Sal-32. The proportions depicted suit heavy-duty use. Approximately the same web thickness but thinner flanges should replace those shown for lightly loaded columns. Note the pronounced material massing peripherally. This should find a welcome as a tower leg in view of the aforegoing and the nearly continuous curving of the surfaces, with a relatively restricted opening into the interior on each column side, trapping oncoming air currents minimall-y and fairing optimally for departing air currents. Aerodynamically this column does not compare with a right-circular, closed cylindrical column to unfavorably, a column which cannot be inspected for inside rusting and cannot be repainted inside and is not as attractive as the described invention-incorporating shape.

Refer to FIGURE 4. The Web and flanges are respectively indicated by 33 and 3435. The two curved arrows indicate. the paths of displacement of the, long-leg ends when being bent into positions like those in FIG URES 2 and 3. The two dot-and-dash-line conventions respectively represent threaded, studs welded, to thewfianges at outside zones. nearly if not entirely alined with theweb to receive tension and compression loads divorced from secondary stresses. They could serve, as an example, inter-leg braces and turnbuckle-equipped guy wires in a tower.

The free edges of the legs are unbraeed. In an environment of serious impact stresses on the column, the combination of sizable transverse dimensions and extreme flange thinness must be rejected. Since the flange masses are peripherally located and column slender ness is a desideratum as a factor for slenderness, the depicted somewhat heavy flange sections do not constitute actually a disadvantage. For weight, reduction, somewhat thinner webs, in the case of they bent-flauge species, are recommended. In the case of columns where the flanges are not bent (FIGURE 5), the web cannot be thinned down much; buckling resistance in each two mutually rectangular planes, while retaining reasonably compact all-over transverse dimensions, operates against thinning down of the web.

I claim:

1. An integral metal column disclosing, in each of the cross-sectional views, all substantially uniform, an elon gated web and, at eachweb end, an elongated flange consisting of a relatively short and substantially unbent leg and a relatively long inwardly curved leg, each twoshqrt legs being on opposite sides of and each two long legs being on opposite sides of the web.

2. A column as described in claim 1, the two edges respe ctively ofeach short leg and of that long leg which is on the same web side being mutually sospaced disposed that the leg inside surfaces, in the entirety thereof, are directly visible to an observer viewing the column broadsidewise.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES- PATENTS. 1,757,388 Rendlernan Mayo, 1930.

FOREIGN PATENTS 112,021 Austria Ian. 10, 1929 21,895 Great Britain of1911 478,442 Great Britain Jan. 19, 1938 493,688 Great Britain Oct. 12, 1938 

1. AN INTEGRAL METAL COLUMN DISCLOSING, IN EACH OF THE CROSS-SECTIONAL VIEWS, ALL SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM, AN ELONGATED WEB AND, AT EACH WEB END, AN ELONGATED FLANGE CONSISTING OF A RELATIVELY SHORT AND SUBSTANTIALLY UNBENT LEG AND A RELATIVELY LONG INWARDLY CURVED LEG, EACH TWO SHORT LEGS BEING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF AND EACH TWO LONG LEGS BEING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE WEB. 